Pre-cut stone building construction



Jan. 11, 1966 c. w. BIESANZ, 5R. ETAL- 3,228,155

FEE-CUT STONE BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Filed May 8, 1961. 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG I IN VEN TORS.

CHARLES w. BIESANZ, SR.

KElTH a. WALSH BY CARL w. SCHUBERT A TTORNE Y5 1966 .c. w. BIESANZ, sR.. ETAL 3,228,155

FEE-CUT STONE BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Filed May a, 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS. CHARLES w. BIESANZ, SR KEITH J. WALSH BY CARL w. S CHUBERT ldwm/& flW

A TTORNE YS Jan. 11, 1966 B 1E SANZ, 5R, ETAL 3,228,155

PRE-CUT STONE BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Filed May 8, 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet 4|- BY CARL w. SCHUBERT mmx 72;,

A TTORNE Y6 United States Patent 3,228,155 PRE-CUT STONE BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Charles W. Biesanz, Sr., 116 W. 7th St, and Keith J. Walsh, 114 W. 7th St., both of Winona, Minn., and Carl W. Schubert, 2635 Schubert Place, La Crosse, Wis.

Filed May S, 1961, Ser. No. 108,534 1 Ciaim. (Cl. 52-206) This invention relates to pre-cut stone building constructions, and more particularly to building constructions in which a load bearing wall comprises, as essentially its only load bearing parts, pie-cut stone vertical and horizontal members, other wall elements such as panels or window frames being load-free and supported by the pre-cut stone members.

A building constructed in accordance with the present invention has numerous advantages as compared to known or conventional buildings of ordinary masonry, that is brick or concrete or cinder block constructions, and concrete structures. Stone is substantially free from significant expansion and contraction due to temperature changes. In itself, it does not leak and is relatively nonhygroscopic. When used in constructing a load bearing wall in accordance with the present invention, it needs no reinforcing steel or mortar joints. These attributes additionally make it possible to construct buildings of outstanding beauty without compromising as a load supporting and other engineering considerations.

An object of the invention is to provide a new and improved building construction having a load bearing wall essentially comprising only pre-cut stone sections bonded without the usual mortar joints customarily used in masonry wall constructions.

Another object of the invention is to provide a build ing construction of the character stated in which mutually adjoining pre-cut stone sections are bonded by very thin layers of adhesive; preferably of epoxy resin or at least having the same or generally equivalent bonding characteristics.

A further object of the invention is to provide a building construction including a new and improved form of glass pane mounting.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent from a reading of the following description, the appended claims, and the accompanying drawings, in which:

FEGURE 1 is a fragmentary front elevation of a building construction embodying the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary vertical section on the line 22 of FIGURE 1, drawn on an enlarged scale and showing a foundation for a load bearing wall structure embodying the invention;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary vertical section on the line 33 of FIGURE 1, drawn on an enlarged scale and showing the upper portion of the load bearing wall structure and a reef structure;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged scale horizontal fragmentary section on the line 4-4 of FIGURE 1, showing an upper mullion in horizontal section and an eyebrow course in top plan;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged scale fragmentary horizontal section on line 55 of FIGURE 1, showing a lower mullion in horizontal section and an upper sill in top plan;

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of an upper mullion and associated stone cap sections and a roof supporting I-beam;

FIGURE 7 is an exploded fragmentary perspective view of the parts shown in FIGURE 6;

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary perspective view of the top part of a lower mullion, associated eyebrow sections and the bottom part of an upper mullion;

FIGURE 9 is an exploded fragmentary persepective view of the parts shown in FIGURE 8;

FlGURE 10 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the relation of a lower stone sill, a lower stone mullion and an upper stone sill, the lower mullion being shown as cut and shortened for conservation of space on the drawing;

FIGURE 11 is an exploded fragmentary perspective view of the lower mullion and associated upper sill sections, the mullion again being cut and shortened; and

FIGURE 12 is a detailed fragmentary horizontal section showing a light glass mounting in a rabbeted mullion.

In its general nature, the load bearing wall illustrated as embodying the invention in a preferred form comprises essentially, as its only load bearing elements, a plurality of horizontally spaced, vertical mullion parts and sill and other horizontal parts, all of pre-cut stone. Lower mullions rest upon a lower still and an upper sill is supported to extend between the mullions. Other horizontal courses, including an eyebrow course and a cap course are supported by lower and upper mullions, and extend from mullion-to-mullion so as to define rectangular gaps in the wall structure. The gaps are filled by load-free closure means, as illustrated including fixed light glass and windows on ventilators. Some parts of the illustrated building include, mainly for decorative purposes, conventional brick or other masonry block facings and corner posts, but these do not constitute parts of the pre-cut stone load bearing wall structure which is the subject of the invention.

With more particular reference to the illustrative embodiment, a one-story school building is shown as being erected upon a more or less conventional foundation including footings 1 and a concrete block foundation wall 2 extending from the footings to about the ground level. A reinforced concrete floor slab 3 is supported upon the inner edge portion of the top of the concrete block structure 2. The outer portion of the top of the foundation wall 2 supports a precut stone lower sill generally designated LS. The lower sill LS is constituted by a plurality of horizontally aligned pre-cut stone sections 4, 4, and as shown in FIGURE 2, these are supported upon the foundation wall 2 by cement mortar 5 embedded in which is a metal sealing strip 6. Each of the lower sill sections LS is formed with a flat portion 4a adjacent its inner edge, with reference to the inside of the building. The outer portion of each sill section 4, with reference to the building, is outwardly and downwardly inclined or sloped at 4b for drainage purposes. Each sill section 4 is formed with a longitudinally extending bottom groove 40 for preventing water from flowing in under the sill and into the mortar joint 5. The lower sill LS is formed with fiat horizontal mullion seats 4d which extend transversely of the sill and which desirably may be cut into the end portions of adjoining aligned sill sections 4, half of each seat 4d being formed in each of the two abutting ends of adjacent sill sections 4, as shown in FIGURES 10 and 11.

A plurality of horizontally spaced, one piece lower mullions LM are supported upon the lower sill LS, each of the mullions LM resting upon one of the flat seats 4d as shown in FIGURES 2, 10 and 11. The lower mullions LM extend upwardly and support other parts of the precut stone load bearing wall, as will be described. Where the various pre-cut stone parts are joined, as for example the joining of the lower mullions LM and the lower sill sections 4, they are adhered together by a thin layer of epoxy resin, or other adhesive of the nature of epoxy resin, interposed in the joints. Many epoxy resin adhesives or bonding agents, known to provide waterproof and very strong bonds, are readily obtainable. For

example, an epoxy resin bond suitable for use in connection with the present invention where a relatively slow setting material is desired is obtainable under the trade name Epibond as a product of Furane Plastics of Los Angeles, California. In some instances, where a relatively faster setting bonding agent is required, variants or other products generally in the nature of epoxy resin are readily obtainable.

In the particular building illustrated, a masonry wall MW, for example of brick and composition block, is extended upwardly from the lower sill LS, the wall MW comprising an inner section 7 of composition block, e.g. Waylite Block, and an outer facing 8 of brick. As shown in FIGURE 2, the sealing strip 6 is turned to extend upwardly past the floor slab 3 and into cement mortar in the wall MW. A rubber base strip 9 extends along the lower portion of the wall MW inside the latter and just above the floor slab 3.

Surmounting the masonry wall MW is an upper sill course US formed of horizontally aligned sections 10, 10 extending between adjacent lower mullions LM, that is mullion-to-mullion. The upper sill sections 10 are notched at the outer portions of their adjacent end faces as shown in FIGURES 10 and 11 so as to abut the lower mullions LM, the rear or inner portions of the adjacent sill sections 10 extending behind the associated mullions and meeting one another. Since the mullions LM are pre-cut to a stepped contour diminishing in thickness from the inner to the outer edges, the adjoining ends of the upper sill sections 10 are correspondingly contoured with steps so as to make a neat and secure connection to the mullions LM.

As shown especially in FIGURES 1, l and 11, the lower mullions LM extend upwardly from the lower sill seats 4d beyond the upper sill US and terminate immediately below a higher course of pre-cut stone, in the form shown in eyebrow course B. As shown in FIGURES 8 and 9, the eyebrow course E comprises a plurality of aligned sections 11, thicker at their inner portions 11a than at their outer portions 11b which are sloped outwardly and downwardly on top and which are formed along their bottoms with drip grooves 11c. The eyebrow E rests upon the tops of the lower mullions LM as particularly shown in FIGURES 3, 8 and 9. Because of the stepped and rabbeted formation of the eyebrow sections, the upper ends of the lower mullions are formed of a correspondingly stepped contour to enable the eyebrow sections 11 to mate with the mullions LM, an adhesive in the nature of epoxy resin serving to bond the eyebrow sections and lower mullions.

The load bearing pre-cut stone wall construction above the eyebrow E comprises a plurality of upper mullions UM of pre-cut stone aligned with the lower mullion-s LM and resting upon the eyebrow E, and a cap course C of pre-cut stone. The bottom ends of the upper mullions UM are cut to a stepped shape to match the rabbeted or stepped shape of the eyebrow sections 11 and are bonded to the eyebrow sections by epoxy resin adhesive or equivalent bonding material.

The cap course C is constituted by a plurality of aligned pre-cu-t stone sections 12 which, as shown in FIGURES 6 and 7, have squared end portions meeting one another respectively above the upper mullions UM. The cap sections 12 have thicker inner parts 12:: and tapered outer parts 12b provided with drip intercepting grooves 120. The cap sections 12 being rabbeted or formed to a stepped contour, the tops of the upper mullions are correspondingly stepped so as to make a goo-d load bearing joint.

The load bearing wall structure thus far described is constituted by the lower sill LS, the lower mullions LM, the upper sill US, the eyebrow course E, the upper mullions UM and the cap course C, all of pre-cut stone securely joined by an epoxy resin bond as indicated at X. Among the advantages of this all pre-cut stone load bearing wall are: the stone sections require no steel reinforoement, the stone will not leak or soak up moisture to any significant extent as compared to other load bearing structures or elements, the stone sections are not susceptible to significant expansion or contraction due to temperature changes, and the construction very admirably lends itself to simplicity and beauty.

In accordance with a further aspects of the invention, the load bearing wall structure comprises a plurality of pre-cut stone members united to one another by adhesive in the nature of epoxy resin to provide a grid structure having a plurality of rectangular gaps which may be closed in any desired manner. In the illustrative embodiment, the gaps just above the upper sills US are partially closed by rectangular metal frames MF which serve to mount hinged or removable glazed ventilators V. The frames MF are mounted in seats provided by the rabbeting in the sill US, the eyebrow E and the lower mullions LM. The frames are secured in place by fasteners 13, as shown in FIGURE 5. The remainder of each gap defined by the sill US, the eyebrow E and the mullions LM may be closed by fixed glazing. In its preferred form and as illustrated in FIGURE 12, this closure comprises a double glass pane including an inner pane 15 and an outer pane 16 fitted into the rabbeting 14. A resilient channel shaped strip 17, e.g. of neoprene or generally equivalent material, covers the edges and adjacent inner and outer face portions of the inner pane 15 to provide a cushioning mounting. Pre-cut stone spacing bars 18 are positioned in the rabbeting in contact with the outer portions of the strips 17. The outer pane 16 is held in place by glazing putty 19 and anchoring pins or points 20.

The gaps between the eyebrow E and cap C and the upper mullions UM are closed by load-free composition panels 21 fitting into the rabbeting in the load bearing stone parts defining the gaps and being suitably calked as shown in FIGURES 3 and 4.

The cap course C supports a roof R of any suitable construction. In the form shown, an I-beam 22 rests upon the cap C for supporting the roof at its interior portions, not shown. Wooden and insulating elements 23, 24, 25 and 26 are interposed between the cap C and a tongueaand-groove roof deck 27 supporting a layer of insulation 28, contouring filler elements 29, and a built up composition roof surfacing material 30. The front of the roof structure is covered by building paper 31 protected by a decorative outside copper fascia 32.

The building construction shown and described embodies the invention in a preferred form, but it is intended that the disclosure be illustrative rather than definitive, the invention being defined in the claim.

We claim:

In a building construction, a load bearing wall comprising a lower sill of natural stone; a plurality of horizontally space-d vertically extending mullions of natural stone resting upon said lower sill and being adhered thereto by thin layers of adhesive in the nature of epoxy resin; an upper sill of natural stone supported to extend horizontally between adjacent mullions from mulltion-tomullion below the tops of said mullions so that the latter extend both above and below said upper sill; spaced above said upper sill, an upper horizontal course of natural stone resting upon the tops of said mullions and being adhered thereto by thin layers of said adhesive, said mullions, said upper sill and said upper horizontal course being united by said adhesive to provide an integral load bearing grid structure consisting of natural stone and thin layers of said adhesive, said grid structure having a plurality of rectangular gaps, said mullions, said upper sill and said upper horizontal course being rabbeted to provide closure receiving seats extending around said gaps; and load free gap closure means, comprising an inner glass pane, resilient channel shaped strips covering the edges and adjacent face portions of said inner pane and being seated in the rabbeting, spacing bars of natural 5 stone within the rabbeting and bearing against said strips, an outer glass pane within said rabbeting, and glazing material in said rabbeting securing said outer pane and said spacing bars in place, said grid structure, in itself, bearing the wall load.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 878,303 2/1908 Moore 52-303 1,169,016 1/1916 Duarte 52-206 1,817,022 8/1931 Slidell et al 52437 2,164,457 7/1939 Hubbell 52-415 X 2,612,243 9/ 1952 Campbell 52-241 2,711,233 6/ 1955 Pierce 52-214 2,718,829 9/ 1955 Seymour et al 52-390 X 2,948,201 8/1960 Nagin et a1 94-5 FOREIGN PATENTS Belgium. Canada. Great Britain. Great Britain. Great Britain. Italy.

FRANK L. ABBOTT, Primary Examiner.

WILLIAM I, MUSHAKE, JACOB L. NACKENOFF, 15 HENRY C. SUTHERLAND, Examiners.

J. L. RIDGILL, Assistant Examiner. 

